Liver fluke infection causes significant welfare harm in cattle and sheep, with production losses and animal suffering that good pasture and treatment management can significantly reduce.
Chronic liver fluke infection causes progressive welfare deterioration: reduced appetite, bottle jaw from protein loss, anaemia, and immune suppression that increases susceptibility to other diseases. Affected animals show reduced productivity and visible signs of condition loss before treatment is often applied. The welfare burden is preventable through strategic flukicide treatment, pasture drainage, and snail control. Rising drug resistance threatens the primary treatment option, making non-pharmacological prevention increasingly important.